


Not Just A Stand In

by angelus2hot



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Het, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-23
Updated: 2012-01-23
Packaged: 2017-10-30 03:09:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/327107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelus2hot/pseuds/angelus2hot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's finally the right time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Just A Stand In

**Author's Note:**

> **Title:** Not Just A Stand In  
>  **Fandom:** The Vampire Diaries  
>  **Rating:** PG-13  
>  **Word Count:** 1,225  
>  **Characters/Pairing:** Damon/Elena, Stefan  
>  **Summary:** It's finally the right time.  
>  **A/N:** written for simply_aly's prompt [Here](http://softly-me.livejournal.com/188407.html?thread=4422647#t4422647) at [The Vampire Diaries Free-For-All Comment Ficathon Part3](http://softly-me.livejournal.com/188407.html)

Damon swirled the contents of his glass in one hand as he tried desperately not to listen to the happy sounds of reunion he knew must be going on in the next room. Stefan was back, joy of all joys. He had known this day would come sooner or later but he had kind of hoped it would be later, much later. Like after he had made Elena realize she loved him and not his younger brother later.

"We need to talk, Damon."

He felt his heart break at her words. Even though he had known this moment would come the minute Stefan came back, he had somehow managed to convince himself that things would turn out differently. Or at least he had hoped. Damon shook his head sadly. He shouldn't have tried to fool himself. Elena belonged with Stefan; he was the one she wanted, the one she would always want. He was just someone she could turn to while waiting for Stefan’s return. He had always just been the stand-in guy.

"Damon?"

The sound of her voice brought him out of his reverie. "You know what, Elena, I know what you’re going to say and just save it. I really don’t need to hear a thank you for all my help. Or about how happy you are that Stefan’s back. Let’s just say I'm glad Stefan's back for your sake and let’s leave it at that, shall we?"

"But, Damon. I...."

"I get it, Elena. You want to make sure I'm okay and that we'll always be friends. But you know what, we can't be just friends, not now, not after everything that has happened between us. I held you in my arms and comforted you after Stefan left. I know what it feels like to hold you, to touch you. What it feels like to have your lips on mine and yeah, it's going to bother the hell out of me that you'll no longer come to me for help, comfort or any of the other little things you always seem to turn to me for help with. But the thing is this works both ways. I know you felt something for me, maybe not love but it was something. And you know what?" Damon stepped closer, leaned his head down until his lips were almost touching hers. "I dare you to ever forget me. I dare you."

With those words hanging in the air between them, Damon turned and began to walk away.

 _Forget him? Was he crazy? How could she ever forget him?_ "Wait, Damon! Please!"

With reluctance showing in his every move, Damon slowly turned to face the woman he loved. "What now, Elena? What do you want from me? Do you want me to give you my blessing, is that it?" Although his tone was sarcastic if she intimated in any way that was exactly what she wanted, Damon didn't doubt, not for a second, he would give it to her. 

"I told Stefan."

Unless it was to say she loved him and not Stefan why would he possibly care what she told his wayward little brother. "What did you tell my brother?" He only asked the question because Elena seemed to expect it of him.

"I told him that too many things had changed between us and I couldn't be with him anymore."

Damon's eyes widened in disbelief. To say he was shocked at her words was an understatement. "You told him what?"

“I told Stefan we couldn’t be together anymore.”

“Are you serious?’

"Yes."

Damon closed his eyes as relief washed over him and he did the one thing he never ever did. He prayed. _Please, God. If this is a dream don't let me wake up._ Those words were a litany in his mind as he finally opened up his eyes. He thought of a million questions he would like the answer to. Questions like why couldn’t she be with his brother anymore but the only thing he managed to say was, "What did he say? Is he okay?"

Elena couldn't help but smile at Damon's question. Even in this situation he still cared about his brother and was worried about how he would react to the breakup. "He's fine. I got the feeling he was relieved." Elena didn't take her eyes off of Damon as she began to close the distance between them. "But I don't want to talk about Stefan." She reached out and caressed his chest through the fabric of his shirt as she came to a stop in front of him.

Damon swallowed hard as tremors of lust shot through his body. "What do you want to talk about?"

But before she could answer Stefan walked into the room. “Sorry to interrupt.”

 _If you were really sorry you wouldn’t have interrupted to begin with._ Somehow Damon managed to keep the angry words from spilling out of his mouth. But it wasn’t easy.

But Stefan got the hint. “I just needed to say something to Elena and then I’ll be out of your way.”

With a nonchalance he was far from feeling, Damon walked away to give the woman he loved and his brother some semblance of privacy.

Although he managed not to hear the beginning of their conversation, he couldn’t stop himself from trying to listen to the end of it. Unable to stand it any longer he gave up all pretence and walked back towards Elena.

“I will always love you, Elena.” Stefan whispered as his lips touched hers.

“I love you too.” Tears filled Elena’s eyes as she watched him turn and walk away.

Damon stomped down the jealousy that threatened as he watched the scene play out in front of him. He couldn’t stand this. He hated seeing Elena in pain. The look on her face and the tears in her eyes killed him. “I don’t get it. If you love him then why did you break up with him?”

Elena quickly wiped her eyes with her fingers before she raised her head to look at Damon. “I had to.”

“But why? If you love him...”

Elena quickly interrupted. “It’s not that kind of love anymore.”

Damon couldn’t help but be confused “What kind of love is it?”

“He will always hold a special place in my heart because he was my first real love. But...”

Even though he was thankful that there was a but, Damon couldn’t stop himself from interrupting. “But what?”

“He’s not you.”

Damon was stunned and at a loss for words. Which was something that never happened to him. He could always be counted on to say something. Sometimes the most inappropriate things but still he always managed to say something. But the only thing he could think to say was, “Oh.”

Elena smiled as she walked closer to Damon and pulled his head down towards her but just before their lips met Damon began to speak.

“Elena, maybe we should wait. Talk about...”

“We can talk later. Don’t you think we’ve waited long enough, Damon?”

This time he didn’t resist. How could he? After all she did have an excellent point. As her lips touched his he pulled her tight into his embrace and finally kissed the woman he loved beyond all reason with the passion he had always denied until then.


End file.
